


That Was Most Beautiful

by Derry (derryderrydown)



Category: Fairytales
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 03:39:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derryderrydown/pseuds/Derry





	That Was Most Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sister Coyote (sister_coyote)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sister_coyote/gifts).



The king had everything that was most beautiful, which was why he had her.

Her eyes were the green of spring grass; her lips the pink of a summer rose; her hair the auburn of an autumn leaf, and she had been born to a farmer with earth in his blood and his blood in the earth.

She knew her comfort here would only last for as long as she was the most beautiful. But she also knew that when she was cast aside, she would be given gold and jewels and she looked forward to the day when she would be free of the king's demands.

It was a relief when she heard talk of a woman at court, a woman almost still a girl, who had skin white as winter snow, hair black as winter branches, eyes grey as winter sky.

And it was with horror that she heard the girl was the king's own daughter. She knew the king and knew he took everything that was most beautiful.

So she spoke to her brother and he spoke to somebody else and one day the girl was accompanied into the forest and never returned.

"It's not enough to hide her," she had told her brother. "She must be made less beautiful. Cut her face. Burn it. Anything to save her."

(There was talk that the king used magic to find everything that was most beautiful and she didn't know how else he could have come to her father's small farm where the earth was thick and brown and full of life.)

And the somebody else spoke to her brother and her brother spoke to her and she was assured that the girl was still beautiful but no longer most beautiful. And although it meant she would have to continue as she was a while longer, she was relieved the girl was safe.

Her relief lasted a year, until the most ugly prince arrived at the castle, riding the most ugly horse. His expression was kind and the horse was relaxed and affectionate to him. And behind him on the horse perched the most beautiful girl.

Her skin was white as winter snow; her hair black as winter branches; her eyes grey as winter sky. Her lips were red as the blood that winter takes from the small and helpless.

And the woman wept.


End file.
